Tilting
by Elsceetaria
Summary: Written for PPF 2010 over on Glake. Thayet watches Kel tilt.


Title: TiltingRating: PG-13Length: 861Category: Tortall Summary: Thayet watches from the side as Kel takes a nasty Pairing:

Sitting in the royal box, I look out at the tourney field holding my breath in silent anticipation. The knight appears at her end of the field. I know that her armor is sound; she is too sensible for anything else. Sadly, it does nothing to flatter her feminine curves. A knight's clothes never do, even under Lalassa's expert hand. She is beautiful though in a strong way reminding me of my bandit hunting days.

Slowly, carefully she gives a salute to Jon and me with her lance. I know it is as much for his sake as for mine. I know that this is a sign of respect to her sovereign not a gesture of anything else. She may not have liked everything my husband has done; even I hated some of the restrictions he subjected her to. She is his subject. No more than that, she is his knight, and she has taken everything in stride. I love her for that among other things even if the love be kept secret (even if it is kept as poorly as Myles love of the drink). I answer her with a slight tilt of my head.

She commands Peachblossom into a gallop, and I release my breath only to hold it again. She lowers the lance, and it hits clean. Both her and her opponent remain seated. Only Kel is crazy enough, no brave enough to tilt against Lord Wyldon. Raoul mentioned something along the lines on unfinished business. She told me, that she just liked to challenge herself against the best.

The second pass came and went much the same. During the third pass, something went amiss. She held her weight just slightly off, and that it off enough when facing the best in the realm. My breath escaped in a gasp as she flew from her saddle. My heart panged from fear as she fell. She still falls from time to time, but she always gets back up. This time she just lied there.

Everyone in the box had risen to stand by the edge to get a closer look at the scene on the ground. As it became apparent that nothing was going to change the others began to gossip and return to their seats. As attendants brought a cot out to carry the broken knight from the field, I nodded to Jon and slipped out the side.

I unconsciously found my way to the healer's tent. Though still in her armor, I could see her right arm and opposite leg were tilted unnaturally.

"Your majesty," the healer curtsied.

"How is she?"

"She'll be okay. You can see the broken arm and leg. She also has several broken ribs and a concussion. Once I heal her head and the bones, she will be okay. It'll be a few weeks, at least, before she no longer feels the injuries, but there shouldn't be lasting damage."

I watched silently as she worked. Slowly, the visible breaks returned to their correct positions. I had to believe the injuries I couldn't see did the same. When she finally finished, she curtsied again leaving a jar of bruise balm for her to use when she awoke.

Knowing it would be better to use the balm sooner rather than later, I carefully undid the buckles holding her armor on sliding it off as gently as possible until she wore only her shirt and basic breeches. Knowing Lalassa would never forgive me if I cut the fabric needlessly, I used my small knife to slit the seams so I could unravel the stitches.

Once my dear knight was wearing naught but her under things, I took the lid off the bruise balm and proceeded to rub the balm into the patches of purple, red, and blue on her beautiful skin. She couldn't see a difference, but she knew that Kel would feel the difference when she woke and the bruises would heal much different than they would otherwise.

She was so engulfed in her task at hand that she never heard her lord enter the tent, "How is she?"

"Bruised, but healed. Time will make her well again."

Nodding he inquired, "You going to stay with her?"

"Till she wakes at least," she answered back turning back to the bed, and Jon left as Thayet knelt by the bed. She was caressing the curves of the younger woman's eyes and cheeks and was pushing hair matted in sweat off her face when she felt the slightest of movements under her hand. "I wouldn't move if I was you."

"What happened?" Slowly Kel opened her eyes and saw the concern on the other's face.

"You don't remember?"

"No. I think I remember that was tilting today, but everything else is missing."

"You held your weight wrong on the third pass and went flying. You had a concussion, but you'll be okay."

"Thank you," Kel said reaching up to pull her queen down until their lips met in a kiss like so many they had had before her head tilting not in pain but in ecstasy.


End file.
